Lan Ling Wang Song Translation – 命運 – Ming Yun – Destiny

So translating this song was really tough. It sounds so beautiful but the lyrics are a bit of a mess and a bit trite. And for some reason, there’s an ant in the lyrics (I tried to make sense of it by adding what I think it intended to mean in brackets by the original words). It’s not really very good as song lyrics go, to be completely honest and I had to interpret some of the words. For example, the lyrics were “I don’t need to live, I don’t want to wake up” which just made it dark, as “if I don’t have you then I shouldn’t be alive” dark. As for the lyrics about ants, I gave up because it was just so bad it was hilarious. Trying to make it make sense was like trying to read russian backwards, it’s already pretty hard reading it forward. But the song composition is really beautiful, the melody is fantastic with a rich bouquet of haunting violin accompaniment and cello solos. Here is the translation of the words:

If the eyes were covered, then can the pain go away as well?
Can you take the mask off, and still be cruel?
If I hadn’t met you, then I wouldn’t have believed
That in life there is the will, the will to keep on loving

Love can let us know each other and our wishes, since we are each others’ lives
And confirm that heaven has a destiny for each of us

Love can allow us to know each others hearts, and touch each others soul
But it can’t not fight against our fate written in the falling stars

I belong to you, to your destiny
I no longer belong to my destiny
I don’t want a life (without you) I don’t want to wake up
I want to hold on to you silently in my dreams

Love has written my history
It can not predict my destiny
The life you’ve given me, in the next life, my life will still be yours

(Cello and drums)

If I can follow you always like a shadow
I would never want to walk alone
If I can become an ant (by you)
I would willingly become that nothing

My life is fated to be yours
It is clear that I can not let you go
Life is a riddle
Because of you it has meaning

Since the beginning, my everything has been for you. My heart has always be loyal to you
I can not be without you
Even if everything changes, even if I can’t save myself
No matter if it is doomed, no matter how many years pass

I belong to you, to your destiny
I no longer control my own destiny
I don’t want a life (without you), I don’t want to wake up
I want to hold on to you silently in my dreams

Love has written my history
It can not predict my destiny
The life you’ve given me, in the next life, my life will still be yours

(Vocals)

I belong to you, to your destiny
I no longer control my own destiny
I don’t want a life (without you), I can not leave you
Even in a storm I can move with peace in my heart

Love has written my history
It can not predict my destiny
The life you’ve given me, will belong to heaven and earth, and to you
Belong to you

I get what you mean,haha! Chinese lyrics are hard to comprehend and this one didn’t had a proper story to tell, no proper flow. But in Chinese, it sounds kinda nice. Just in English, things are lost in translation… Good job by the way! Your Chinese is so good, is it your mother tongue?

Translating is a hard job, especially between languages so different like English and Chinese. Many things get lost in translation especially when dealing with figurative or symbolic language like poems, songs, etc. Even harder when you mix in historical/literary language!

So yeah, all praise and respect to you for tackling this hard task! (LOL @ the bit about the ants :D)

Thank you! I have to admit the translating was really no fun at times because singers have this habit of not pronouncing things clearly. Or making up words and phrases, but these songs were releavtively easy.

llwfanAugust 27, 2013 at 6:24 am

Totally agree with you! I have trouble hearing the words properly (my Chinese is quite limited) and I guess I’m not the only one since drama episodes and MVs have Chinese subs (thank God). I wouldn’t be able to understand much if not for subs! :D

I love the ballad style theme songs too. Mayday’s opening theme song took a while to get used to because I LOVE the melody and the music, but was a bit put off by the singing (Mayday fans don’t hurt me!). I can’t even hear what the singer was saying all that much because he slurs the words quite a bit, but thank goodness there are subtitles so yeah…

Nah, I have no problem with that aspect of the song “An inch of light, an inch of love” “A bloom of flower, A bloom of clouds”. The problem with palm is that it’s long and I’ve been too busy to go through it carefully haha.

i think the ant part means,,if i can be an ant (without him),,i am willingly close to nothing.
so dark! you know,,,it just like,,whole of my destiny,,love,,and life just for him!
and thats what happened to xue wu in this drama,,cruekk destiny,,,,

wow nice translation …
i have downloaded that song with english sub
but the subtitle is so poor
i don’t get any point from it, what it really means
as you said, yes the melody is pretty cool and heart touching when i first listen to it
the instrumental melody is very suited with the song and reflected to the drama
even i didn’t know what it means at first, i had lost my mind and follow the drama with the song
now i feel more emotional after reading it
thank u so much for ur effort

Kathy, thanks for your input. I think that you might be mistaken, I didn’t translate word by word. Sometimes it depends on what part of China, the colloquial language/dialect you grew up with, and choosing the right English words to convey the depth and nuance of Chinese. To have a translation where everyone is pleased with is quite impossible, but I really do appreciate your suggestions. And I’m very pleased with the end product.